Psychiatric intensive care units in Belgium: a new mental health service provision meriting research?

Abstract

Belgium has a large capacity of psychiatric beds as compared to most other European countries and is on the verge of reducing this capacity. An accompanying augmentation of assertive community treatment strategies alongside acute crisis resolution has already begun. The latter function has been implemented in recently developed psychiatric intensive care units. Whether this development will result in improved care for psychiatric patients and in a reduction in cost for the government remains unanswered. Outcomes research in psychiatric intensive care is ongoing in the United Kingdom but this is not the case in Belgium. In this commentary we suggest that this moment of change is a perfect time for initiating research on psychiatric intensive care units in Belgium preferably in close collaboration with experienced staff in the United Kingdom.

Hard times in low security and psychiatric intensive care

“…Of particular interest are a thought provoking article by Innes (2012) on how, despite NICE guidance, there remains wide variation in the physical monitoring of patients who have received rapid tranquillisation, and a piece by Øvreeide & Bervoets (2012) describing psychiatric intensive care units in Belgium.…”